‘El Niño unlikely to cause crisis’

The El Niño phenomenon being experienced in the country is not expected to result in a crisis as food, water and power supplies are adequate during the critical months, an official of the El Niño Task Force said yesterday.

Task force spokesperson Joey Villarama said that with all the preparations, interventions and mitigations being done by the government, he does not foresee the El Niño phenomenon creating a crisis.

“We have enough supply. We do not see (a crisis level) in terms of food supply,” Villarama said.

He cited a report of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. to President Marcos during a recent meeting at Malacañang.

Villarama said Laurel assured Marcos that the country’s rice stock is enough until the third quarter of the year.

Water levels in dams are enough until

May and deep wells are being constructed in Metro Manila, he said.

Marcos has ordered concerned agencies to complete the construction of all waterrelated projects.

Villarama said that although the El Niño phenomenon is expected to peak this month, its effect could persist until May.

“The classification of El Niño in January and February is strong, but its effect is expected to persist in March, April and May. We have to study climate models to see if it will remain strong during these months,” he said.

Meanwhile, state meteorologists warned of “level-up” temperatures that may reach 40 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country this coming dry season.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said temperatures could peak from April to May, and could be higher than summer.

Ana Solis, officer-in-charge of PAGASA’s climatology and agrometeorology division, said the ridge of a high-pressure area, which is the opposite of the lowpressure area, is expected to dominate the country’s weather system.

Solis said temperatures could reach over 40 degrees Celsius in Cagayan Valley. Metro Manila may experience a maximum temperature of 37 to 38 degrees Celsius.

Health experts warned people to be wary of heat cramps as this could lead to heat stroke, which is life-threatening.